Loader-articulated frame



July 28, 1959 "G. E. A'RMINGTOIN LOADER-ARTICULATED FRAME Filed- April 27, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. GEORGE E AFN/N6 rrmv y 28, 1959 e. E. ARMINGTON 2,896,344

LQADER-ARTICULATED FRAME Filed April 27, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. GE RGE E IfiM/AIGTON G. E. ARMINGTON LOADER-ARTICULATED FRAME July 2s, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed April 27, 1955 IN V EN TOR. 66'06'6! 1ST Ann/Nara ATTOIY'NE'YJ July 28, 1959 G. E. ARMINGTON LOADER-ARTICULATED FRAME Filed April 27, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. GEO/P65 2 Annular-0N BY gnwg dwaflm United States Patent 2,896,344 LOADER-ARTICULATED FRAME George E. Armington, South Euclid, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application April 27, 1953, Serial No. 351,448

3 Claims. (Cl. 37-110) This invention relates to improvements in a loader and more particularly to a conveyor type loader.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the type described having a frame and a cutting blade means fixed thereto and so arranged that it may move into an embankment of considerable height for digging and loading the virgin earth with minimum interference.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a loader having design simplicity for easier construction and maintenance, flexibility for quick adaptation to different field conditions, and ease of operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a loader having a roller support means, blade means, and means for raising and lowering said blade means constructed so that raising and lowering the blade means will cause the loader to grade different slopes.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor loader having a conveyor discharge end protruding laterally from the loader frame during normal operation but with a hinge means for transversely swinging the discharge end of the conveyor into a position within the overall width of the conveyor loader frame for shipping or storage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor loader having a conveyor extendingupward- 1y toward a high discharge end in normal operation and having a hinge means for folding downwardly the discharge end of the conveyor to reduce the overall height during shipping or storage.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a loader having a vertically extending cutting blade that may be of any desirable height since none of the parts of the loader are located over the top of the cutting blade.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an offset hitch between a tractor and a loader pulled thereby so that the tractor operator may have an unobstructed view of the cutting and loading action and so that the tractor is kept away from the uncut bank.

Other features of this invention reside in the arrangement and design of the parts for carrying out their appropriate functions.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and description and the essential features will be set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the conveyor loader, a pulling tractor, and a hitch connecting them together with the discharge end of the conveyor shown in a solid line position for normal usage and a dot-dash line position When folded down to reduce the overall loader height;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1 with the line of vision of the tractor operator to the cutting action shown by a dot-dash line on the left and with the discharge end of the conveyor shown on the right in a solid line 2,896,344? Patented July 28, 1959 position for normal usage and in a dot-dash line position when swung within the lateral width of the conveyor frame for shipping or storage;

Fig. 3 is an-enlarged sectional View taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1 through the conveyor approximately perpendicular to the direction of material travel thereon;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged side elevational view of the first hinge connection, taken in the direction of line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 4 approximately perpendicular to the direction of material travel on the conveyor at the first hinge connection;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the first hinge connection shown in Fig. 4; while Fig. 7 is a top view, corresponding to Fig. 6, of said first hinge connection when the removable section of the conveyor has been removed and the discharge end of the conveyor has been swung around to the dot-dasl1 position of Fig. 2.

While various features of this invention might be adapted to various types of vehicles and other apparatus, it has been chosen to illustrate the invention as a conveyor loader.

The leader has a frame formed by structural members welded or otherwise secured together with said frame including two rail members 10 and 11 in Fig. 2 that are approximately parallel and extend generally in the direction of loader travel with cross members 12, 13, 14 and 15 bridging the distance between and secured to both of said rail members. Frame members 17 and 18 are each secured to cross members 13 and 14 to strengthen the frame while a frame member 19 extends laterally outwardly toward the right from rail member 11 and has its opposite ends secured to this last mentioned rail member. This structure provides the rigid frame to which the other members of the conveyor loader are secured.

A suitable blade means is directly connected to the frame at its forward end for ground engagement and is shown at the left end of the loader in Figs. 1 and 2.

This blade means includes a cutting blade with a generally vertically cutting portion taking the form of a plow point 21a in Fig. 1 having a backwardly and upwardly inclined top cutting edge 21b for cutting into a bank and forming a vertical wall at the edge of the out. This plow point 21a and top cutting edge 21b protrudes somewhat to the left (below in Fig. 2) of the side rail member 10 so that adequate clearance will be cut to permit the loader to be pulled toward the left in Fig. 2 by tractor 20 without dragging along the bank. This plow point 210 is the foremost point on the left side of the loader and is relatively narrow and sharp with a, substantially flat bottom for proper digging action. This plow point 21a buries itself in the ground and tends to hold that side of the blade means down to the desired level because of the pressure the ground above it beating down on the sloping top cutting edge 21b. The cutting edge 21b may extend upwardly to any desired height and a long upward extent may be desirable when cutting into embankments and where it is desired to blend the dirt from a plurality of strata. Most of the active cutting generally takes place in the generally vertical plane formed by the plow point 21:: and top cutting edge 21b with this vertical plane extending in the direction of loader travel and located general- 1y on the left side of the longitudinal central axis of the conveyor loader frame.

The blade means also includes a generally horizontally extending clean-up, scraping or cutting blade which extends forwardly toward the right from the plow portion and is shown in Fig. 2 as composed of two portions 22a and 2212 with the first portion 22a immediately in front of the conveyor while portion 22b extends forwardly toward the right with its extreme right end 220 being the leading edge of the conveyor loader. These blade portions 22a and 22b may serve the purpose of cutting, scraping, accumulating and clean-up, or excavating the earth, whichever is desired. Generally, at least a portion or all of blade portion 22a will do active cutting along with the plow portion. A suitable mold board is formed by or secured to the back of blade sections 22a and 22b as well as the plow cutting edge to direct upwardly onto the conveyor all the dirt cut, scraped or cleaned between points 21a and 220 on the blade means. This mold board is made to give good dirt flow action by having the earth roll smoothly toward the conveyor mouth. It should be noted that the blade means is directly connected to the front of the frame at a low point for good cutting action and rigidity.

A conveyor means is secured to the loader frame and is positioned to receive and transport the earth cut, scraped or accumulated by the blade means. This conveyor means, shown generally at 24 in Figs. 1 and 2 is secured at its left end to the loader frame near the ground directly behind the blade means and then extends upwardly therefrom and diagonally across the loader frame in a rearward direction to a discharge point laterally outside of the right side of the frame, as shown in Fig. 2. This lateral protrusion over the right frame rail 11 provides adequate room for a tractor and Wagon or a dump truck to pull under the discharge end of the conveyor means for easy loading. The conveyor means 24 has an endless belt 25 traveling over a tail pulley 30a located on the frame directly behind the blade means and a head or driving pulley 301) located at the upper and rearward discharge end of the conveyor means. This head pulley 30b is of large diameter to assure positive drive with a minimum slippage and is driven by motor 26 secured to the frame and rail members with said motor including a torque converter and clutch. The motor 26 drives a shaft 27 with at least one universal joint and with telescopic sections of non-circular cross section, such as a splined shaft, that will drive and that can be telescoped endwise to change its overall length to permit take-up on the conveyor belt 25 and weaving of the head pulley end of the conveyor. This shaft in turn drives an intermediate gear box 28 located on the conveyor means having a drive shaft 29, extending along the conveyor means, connected by bevel gearing with the head pulley 30b at the conveyor means discharge end. This construction makes a more satisfactory drive than a drive shaft connected directly from the motor 26 to the head pulley 30b since there is little danger that a wagon being loaded will strike the drive shafts 27 and 29 when passing under the discharge end of the conveyor means.

The back of the conveyor means 24 is supported on the loader frame by two fixed length struts 31, 31 and one adjustable length strut 34 to support the heavy rear end of the conveyor means during normal operation. The center strut 34 is adjustable endwise by a screw connection between two separate sections thereof so that a firm support can be obtained for the head pulley end of the conveyor during normal operation. Each strut is pivotally mounted at opposite ends to the conveyor means and to the frame by a universal joint or other equivalent pivotal mounting.

Also, a detachable connection is provided for opposite upper and lower ends of each strut (to conveyor means or frame) and for the drive shaft 29 (to motor 26 or gear box 28) so that, after detachment, the discharge end of the conveyor means 24 can be swung to the dot-dash line positions in Figs. 1 and 2.

The conveyor loader travels over the earth on a pair of rolling support means 32, 33 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 with these rolling support means taking the form of a short crawler track but which could readily take the form of wheels or other equivalent structure. The rolling support means 32 is pivotally secured between and to the frame rail member 10 and the frame member 17 while the rolling support means 33 is correspondingly secured between rail frame member 11 and the frame member 19. Each rolling support means, for example, rolling support means 32, is pivotally secured to the loader frame for pivotal oscillation about a single transverse axis with the securement between the frame and the rolling support means 32 being shown by axle 32a in Fig. 1 mounted for rotation relative to either the frame or its associated rolling support means.

These rolling support means, for supporting the frame for movement along the ground, are spaced laterally across the frame to the rear of the blade means with the rolling support means 32 being located in longitudinal alignment directly behind the cutting blade 22a in its path of travel for rolling over the earths surface freshly scraped or actively cut thereby, while the other rolling support means 33 is located laterally outside of the path of the blade means (to the right of the farthest point 220 on the right of the blade means) and the freshly cut and scraped earth surface for travelling on earth of a predetermined contour, such as a previously cut or scraped surface.

A hitch, connecting the tractor 20 and the conveyor loader, is characterized by its simple design and few parts. This hitch serves as a means for supporting the front of the frame and for raising or lowering the blade means. It has a drawbar comprising a forward, yoke-shape portion 35a, a rearward portion 35b, and a connecting frame member 36. The rearward drawbar portion 35b is pivotally secured to said loader frame at 35c on a transverse pivotal axis between the blade means and the pivotal mounting of the rolling support means 32, 33. The leading ends of the drawbar-yoke 35a are pivotally secured at 35d in straddling relationship with tractor 20, but it should be readily understood that if the loader were a self-powered type, the front of this yoke 35a could be secured to a wheeled dolly or any other convenient supporting structure instead of tractor 20. The connecting frame member 36 provides a universal pivotal connection on the drawbar between drawbar portions 35a and 35b. This frame member 36 is secured by a horizontal pivot 36a to the drawbar yoke 35a and by a vertical pivot 36b to the rearward drawbar portion 35b with both pivots 36a and 36b lying in a common vertical, longitudinally extending plane. Two hydraulic hoists 38 are provided for raising and lowering the blade means with each of said hoists being pivotally connected on its opposite ends to the frame cross member 15 and to the rearward end of drawbar portion 35b. The hydraulic hoists 38, actuated by the flow of hydraulic fluid, serve as adjustable, or variable power means connecting the drawbar and conveyor loader frame for raising and lowering the blade means about the pivotal mounting between the rolling support means and frame. Each hoist 38 may take the form of a single-acting or double acting telescopic cylinder and piston unit.

The hitch, being rigid in a vertical direction, supports the blade means at a point mid-way betweenthe tractor 20 and the .rolling support means 32 and 33. This leads to an evening up of cuts over uneven ground because approximately only half of the vertical movement of tractor 20 is transmitted to the blade means. In addition to this, practically none of the pitching movement of the tractor 20 is transmitted through the hitch to the blade means.

This articulated construction, including the hitch and conveyor frame shown in Fig. 1, is a simplified design doing away with torque tubes and other frame members extending across the full width or throughout the length of the conveyor loader. The conveyor loader frame supports the blade means with its cutting edges low and close to the ground with the only high part'of the entire apparatus being the discharge or rear end "ofthe conveyor means on the right in Fig. 1.

It should be noted in Fig. 2lthat-thedrawbar attach merit to the conveyor loader frameis-olfset to or generally on the right side of the longitudihal central axis of the conveyor loader frame so that his located on the opposite side of the frame from the active-cutting action of the conveyor loader. This leaves a big open area above the mold board and the-remainder of the blade means so that the free, smooth flow of the dirt is completely unobstructed. Many times in other loaders the loader gets into conditions where'there are roots, sod or soft gumbo that piles up in frontof-the blade means and wedges against the framework of theflmachine to stop the flow of the dirt onto the conveyor: means, but this difficulty is eliminated in the present invention so that free flow will always take place in *the area of active cutting. The upwardly extending portion'of the plow top cutting edge 2111 can readily cut-into-a high bank and may cut at any vertical depth intoa hillside since the area above it is completely freefrom loader parts. It is possible to extend vertically this-cutting edge 21b as high as desired since there is no obstructiontoprevent this extension. A vertical cuttingheight of 12 feet is not'uncommon and is frequentlyused toget a good mix- :ture of a large number of soil strata-bycutting them all :at one time. The design of the conveyor loader frame and the mouth of the conveyor meanslends itself readily to the use of a cutter with a cuttingedgeZIb extending .to a high height.

This offset connection in Fig. 2 between the hitch and the loader frame gives the tractor operator an unobstructed view of the active cutting and of the conveyor loading. His line of vision is shown by the dot-dash line at the left in Fig. 2 and the importance of this clear vision should be readily appreciated when it is realized that this conveyor type loader digs and loads a tremendous amount of earth, in some cases a ton per second. It should also be noted in Fig. 2 that the offset connection between the hitch and loader frame permits the tractor 20 to stay over on the right side of the loader away from the path of the plow cutting edge 21b and out of the bank cut thereby so that tractor 20 in Fig. 1 travels on the uncut surface A while the blade means cuts at level B.

Several advantages are obtained by the coaction between the blade means, the rolling support means 32 and 33, the conveyor means 24, and the hitch when the latter serves as a means for raising or lowering the blade means by pivoting the whole loader frame around the transverse axis through axle 32a of the rolling support means. Slopes are easily graded to any degree desired, since the tilt of the blade means and loader frame is taken care of automatically. The right-hand rolling sup port means 33 is located outside the path of the blade means extending across the front of the conveyor frame. This rolling support means 33 rides on uncut or previously cut earth of a predetermined contour while the left rolling support means 32 rides on ground cut or scraped by the blade means so that any desired tilt for slope grading can be obtained for the blade means and the loader by properly adjusting the blade means height by the hydraulic hoist 38, 38. When the blade means is lowered, a deep path is cut in which the left-hand rolling support means 32 will run. Naturally, this will result in the lefthand rolling support means 32 being lower than the corresponding right-hand rolling support means 33 and will cause the entire loader to tilt so that the blade means will cut the proper slope. Hence, the loader operator can easily control the slope that he creates when excavating by shortening or lengthening hoists 38. A level out or an upward slope can be cut in a corresponding manner. One can readily see that itwould be easy for him to gouge into the side of a bank merely by taking a deep 6 cut inasmuch as the left-hand rolling means 32 always runs on the freshly cut or scraped surface. The necessity is eliminated for any tilting hoists on the loader for tilting the blade means relative to the loader frame to grade slopes.

The laterally outward location of rolling support means 33 also adds stability to the large overhang of the conveyor means 24 as it extends toward its discharge point. This rolling support means 33 is located directly below the conveyor means 24 after it protrudes over the right rail member ll so that it will provide adequate stability for supporting the conveyor means while the conveyor means has adequate overhang for easily loading either a tractor and wagon unit or a dump truck traveling under the discharge end of the conveyor means during loading.

In the conveyor means 24, the upper or load carrying run of the conveyor belt 25 is movable. upwardly and rearwardly away from the blade means throughout the whole conveyor length between laterally spaced side walls in Fig. 3 consisting of lower side walls 44 44 and upper side walls 549, St). The outer edges of the conveyor belt 25 are supported by a belt edge supporting strip 44a on the top of each lower side wall 44, to restrict the sag of the belt, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower edges of the opposite lower side walls 44, 44 are connected together by a framework 45, as better shown at the left and right in Fig. 6, having horizontal troughing rollers 47 in the center and upwardly and outwardly inclined troughing rollers 43, 48 extending laterally outwardly therefrom with each roller having outwardly protruding stub shafts for detachable and rotatable support at opposite ends by either side walls or framework 45. Each stub shaft has a bearing pressed thereon with the bearing outer case slotted on opposite sides to fit non-rotatably and detachab'ly into a U-shape notch in either a wall of the gril like framework 45 or a bracket inwardly extending from side wall 44 so that each roller can be removed by lifting it upwardly. Troughing rollers 47 and 48, shown by dotted lines in Figs. 6 and 7 and by solid lines in Fig. 5, are staggered with rollers 48 being arranged in transversely aligned pairs so that there are no long gaps of no load support under the conveyor belt 25. The head and tail pulleys 349a and 3% are cylindrical so that the flexible conveyor belt 25 assumes a flat shape at opposite ends while the rollers 47 and 48 force the fieXible belt to assume a trough shape, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, between these ends for centering the load on the belt. Each upper side wall 50 includes a sealing strip 50a coacting with the edge of the conveyor belt 25 to prevent earth leakage while it is being conveyed upwardly and rearwa-rdly.

The conveyor means cross-sectional structure, as generally described in the preceding paragraph, occurs throughout the length of conveyor means 24 in each of three articulated conveyor frame sections. These sec tions include a front or tail pulley section 24a secured to the conveyor loader frame behind the blade means and a rear section, shown as 241) and 240 in Fig. l, pivotally secured to the rear of front section 24a. This rear section includes a middle or center section 24b pivotally secured to the rear of front section 24a to permit transverse swinging of the whole rear section into a position within the overall Width of the conveyor loader frame for shipping or storage purposes, as shown by the dotdash line position in Fig. 2. The rear section also includes a trailing or head pulley section 24c pivotally secured to the rear of the middle section 24b by a hinge having a horizontal pivotal axis to permit the head pulley section 240 to be folded downwardly into the Fig. 1 dotdash line position to reduce the overall height of the conveyor loader during shipping or storage.

A first hinge and releasable locking means is provided that connects the front section 24a and the middle section 2415 for either locking the three sections in their operative positions extending laterally outside of. the frame, as

shown in the solid line position in Fig. 1 or for swinging the rear section (sections 24b and 240) about an axis generally perpendicular to the load-carrying upper run of the conveyor belt 25 to a position within the conveyor loader frame width for reducing the overall conveyor loader width, as shown by the dot-dash position in Fig. 2.

This first hinge and releasable locking means is shown in great detail in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 in a position correspond ing to the solid line, normal position in Figs. 1 and 2. In the Fig. 5 cross-sectional view of the conveyor means, the right hand side closely resembles the conveyor means wall structure described heretofore while the left hand side and lower side has certain corresponding parts shown by primed corresponding reference numerals. This hinge and releasable locking means includes a corresponding upper side plate or wall 55) with a sealing strip 5 9a and includes a corresponding lower side plate or wall 44 and a belt edge support strip 44a. It also includes a roller support frame 45' with corresponding troughing rollers 47 and 48, shown in Figs. 5 and 6, removably attached in the same manner by slots and U-shaped notches to frame 45 and walls 44 and 44.

The parts of this first hinge means and releasable lock ing means are secured together and to the remainder of the conveyor means by removable nuts and bolts. Two upper splice angles 52, 52 are each bolted to the outer face of the upper side plate or wall 50 and to the adjacent side wall 50 of the conveyor means, as shown in Fig. 4. The lower side plate or wall 44' is bolted to the remov able roller support frame 45, to lugs 51, 51 welded to lower side walls 44, and to the corresponding lower side walls 44 of the conveyor means in a corresponding mannor by the lower splice angles 53, 53 in Figs. 4 and 5. The opposite side of removable roller support frame 45 is also bolted to the conveyor means side walls 44, 44, as shown at the right in Fig. 5 and at the top in Fig. 6.

This first hinge and releasable locking means has additional parts for performing the pivoting function and these include four hinge straps 54 in Fig. 4 with each hinge strap secured at one end to either the top of the upper side wall 50 or the bottom of the lower side wall 44 of the associated conveyor means structure. Hinge levers 55, four in number, are arranged in an upper pair and a lower pair and are pivotally connected to each other and to the hinge straps by pivot pins 58 while two connecting posts 57, 57 are provided for connecting upper and lower corresponding hinge levers of each pair. Another hinge is provided on the far side in Fig. 4, as shown on the right in Fig. 5 and on the top in Fig. 6, and this hinge includes four hinge straps 59, 59 with each strap secured at one end to either the top of its associated upper side wall 59 or a bracket on the bottom of its associated lower side wall 44. Each pair of straps is pivotally secured together at the other end by a pivot pin 60. Hence, a pivotal connection is provided on one side, the top wall in Fig. 6, while a knee-joint is pivotally connected to the other side wall, the lower side wall in Fig. 6, to pivotally connect the front section 24a and the middle section 24b of the conveyor means 24.

When conveyor sections 24b and 24c are to be swung into a position within the conveyor loader frame width for reducing the overall conveyor loader width by assuming the dot-dash line position in Fig. 2, a section is removed from the conveyor means at the first hinge and releasable locking means so that it can be swung from the Fig. 6 to the Fig. 7 positions. The securing bolts and nuts are disassembled for removal of the upper splice angles 52, 52; the lower spliced angles 53, 53; the upper side plate or'wall 50'; the lower side plate or wall 44'; the roller support frame 45' along with its troughing rollers 47 and 48; and at least rollers 48' from frame 45'. Rollers 47 may be removed if desired. This removable section located between conveyor means sections 24a and 24b, shown in Fig. 6, has belt supporting rollers and spaced side walls, similar to the rest of the conveyor, but is removable before swinging the discharge end of the conveyor to the shipping position so that after the swinging has taken place, the flexible conveyor belt 25 can drop into the gap between the conveyor meanssection 24a, 24b formed during the swinging and during the collapsing of the knee joint formed by hinge levers 55, as shown in Fig. 7.

A hydraulic ram or hoist is used to pull the upper conveyor sections around into the collapsed, shipping, dot-dash position in Fig. 2 and also to push them back into the normal, solid line, operative position. This hydraulically actuated, telescopic cylinder and piston hoist 62 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 wherein it is pivotally connected at opposite ends to the conveyor loader frame and to the conveyor means section 24b.

A second hinge and releasable locking means is provided in Figs. 1 and 3 between the conveyor means sections 24b and 240 for swinging downwardly about a generally horizontal axis at least the uppermost portion of the conveyor means rear section, shown as trailing section 24c in the'present disclosure, for reducing the overall conveyor loader height below the operative position height shown in solid line position in Fig. l for shipping or storage. Fig. 1 shows the normal operative position in solid lines and the folded down position for reducing the overall height in dot-dash lines. Four downwardly and forwardly projecting hinge straps 64 are fixed to the front lower edge of the side walls in conveyor means section 240 with two hinge straps on each side wall, as shown in Fig. 3. The rear edge of hinge section 24b has rearwardly and upwardly projecting hinge straps 65, two in number, with one on each wall adapted to fit between one pair of hinge straps 64 and having a pivot pin 66 through each group of three hinge straps 64, 64, 65. A connecting plate 67 is secured to and joins the upper portions of the outer faces of adjoining side walls on conveyor means sections 24b and 24c by means of removable nuts and bolts. Therefore, when the connecting plates 67 are secured in place, the conveyor means discharge end will be in its normal, solid line position of Fig. 1, and when the nuts and bolts are removed, the plates 67 will no longer connect the side walls so that the conveyor means section 240 will fold downwardly into the dot-dash line position in Fig. 1 by pivoting around the pivot pins 66.

It should now be readily apparent that not only the endwise rigidity of struts 31 and 34 but also the detachable end connections on drive shaft 27 and struts 31 and 34 were necessary in the design not only to provide adequate support in the Figs. 1 and 2 solid line position but also to permit the trailing conveyor means section 240 to be folded downwardly in Fig. 1 and sections 24b and 240 to be swung transversely in Fig. 2 from the solid line to the dot-dash line positions.

It should now be apparent that the present invention is directed to a conveyor loader having design simplicity for easier construction and maintenance, having great flexibility for adaptation to use under field conditions, and having ease of operation.

' Various changes in details and arrangement of parts can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of this invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a conveyor loader having a frame having a blade means with a cutting blade at its forward end for ground engagement, said cutting blade having a generally vertical cutting portion located generally on one side of the longitudinal central axis of said frame extending in the direction of travel of said conveyor loader frame for active cutting, conveyor means on said frame positioned to receive and transport earth out by said blade means and extending upwardly from said blade means, rolling support means on the frame to the rear of said blade means for supporting said frame for movement along the ground, and means for supporting the front of said frame, said last-mentioned means including a drawbar on said frame adapted to be secured at its leading end to a tractor for supporting the forward end of said drawbar; the combination therewith of first and second rolling support means on said frame, said first rolling support means being substantially in the path of travel of said cutting blade, said second rolling support means being laterally spaced from said path but parallel thereto, offset attachment means between said drawbar and frame located between the longitudinal central axis of said frame and said second rolling support means generally on that side of the longitudinal central axis of said frame opposite that of said vertical cutting blade portion so that the space above the lower end of said conveyor means adjacent said blade vertical cutting portion is unobstructed to permit cutting at substantial vertical depths into a hillside, to obtain a good mixture of a large number of strata and so that the operators view of said cutting is unobstructed, and said attachment means including pivotal connecting means between said drawbar and said frame member.

2. In a conveyor loader having a frame having a blade means with a cutting blade at its forward end for ground engagement, said cutting blade having a generally vertical cutting portion located generally on one side of the longitudinal central axis of said frame extending in the direction of travel of said conveyor loader frame for active cutting, conveyor means on said frame extending upwardly from said blade means and positioned to receive and transport earth cut by said blade means, rolling support means pivotally mounted on the frame to the rear of said blade means for supporting said frame for movement along the ground, and means for supporting the front of said frame and for raising and lowering said blade means by pivoting of said frame around the transverse axis of said rolling support means for grading adjustment, said last mentioned means ineluding a drawbar on said frame adapted to be secured at its leading end to a tractor for supporting the forward end of said drawbar; the combination therewith of a rolling support of said rolling support means located in longitudinal alignment directly behind said cutting blade in its path of travel for rolling over the earth surface freshly cut thereby, and another rolling support of said rolling support means located laterally outside the path of said blade means for traveling on earth surface other than that freshly cut by said cutting blade,

said conveyor means extending from a point near the ground behind said blade means upwardly over said other rolling support to a discharge point laterally outside of the frame and of said other rolling support, said conveyor means comprising a front section rigidly secured to said frame behind said blade means and a rear section secured to said front section, a first hinge means connecting said front and said rear sections for swinging said rear section between either its operative position extending laterally outside said frame or to a position within the frame width for reducing overall conveyor loader width, and a second hinge means on said rear section for swinging downwardly at least the uppermost portion of said rear section for reducing the overall conveyor loader height during shipping, said frame supporting means and blade means raising and lowering means including a drawbar pivotally secured on a transverse axis of said frame between said blade means and the pivotal mounting of said rolling support means and adapted to be secured at its leading end to a tractor for supporting the forward end of said drawbar, said pivotal attachment between said drawbar and frame being on that side of the longitudinal center axis of said frame opposite said blade vertical cutting portion 10 so that the space above the lower end of said conveyor means adjacent said blade vertical cutting portion is unobstructed to permit cutting at substantial vertical depths into a hillside, to obtain a good mixture of a large number of strata and so that the tractor operators view in the direction of travel of said conveyor loader frame for active cutting, conveyor means on said frame extending upwardly from said blade means and positioned to receive and transport earth cut by said blade means, rolling support means pivotally mounted on the frame to the rear of said blade means for supporting said frame for movement along the ground, and means for supporting the front of said frame and for raising and lowering said blade means by pivoting of said frame around the transverse axis of said rolling support means for grading adjustment, said last mentioned means including a drawbar on said frame adapted. to be secured at its leading end to a tractor for supporting the forward end of said drawbar; the combination therewith of a rolling support of said rolling support means located in longitudinal alignment directly behind said cutting blade in its path of travel for rolling over the earth surface freshly cut thereby and another rolling support of said rolling support means located laterally outside the path of said blade means for traveling on earth surface other than that freshly cut by said cutting blade, said conveyor means extending from a point near the ground behind said blade means upwardly over said other rolling support to a discharge point laterally outside of the frame and of said other rolling support, said conveyor means comprising a front section rigidly secured to said frame behind said blade means and a rear section secured to said front section, hinge means connecting said front and said rear sections for swinging said rear section between either its operative position extending laterally outside said frame or to a position within the frame width for reducing overall conveyor loader width, said frame supporting means and blade means raising and lowering means including a drawbar pivotally secured on a transverse axis to said frame between said blade means and the pivotal mounting of said rolling support means and adapted to be secured at its leading end to a tractor for supporting the forward end of said drawbar, said pivotal attachment between said drawbar and frame being on that side of the longitudinal center axis of said frame opposite said blade vertical cutting portion so that the space above the lower end of said conveyor means adjacent said blade vertical cutting portion is unobstructed to permit cutting at substantial vertical depths into a hillside, to obtain a good mixture of a large number of strata and so that the tractor operator's view of said cutting is unobstructed.

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